Friday on my mind

Oi vays meer ... I don't know where to start. I started the audit on IBEX2 (the new Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, aka MoFED system) today. I have 17 deliverables of which 5-7 of them are turnkey. I must dive into the development environment to audit that setup and look at a handful of different sets of documentation prepared by Dulcian who did the work. There is one deliverable that could be as late as March so I will negotiate with my boss Ato Mussa on that one as I am only here until the end of December. As I mentioned in a previous post, I am making plans to spend 3 days in Istanbul the week after next. I would return to Addis on Wednesday, work 2 days, then fly off to La Terre de la Chose Sucrée (aka Canada). We are on a very limited budget for the trip to Istanbul but I know we can make it. I spent some time with some colleagues at MoFED trying to install Oracle on a fresh Linux box. This task in itself is quite simple; installing Oracle must be Murphy's law on steroids. It did not go well (the first time in hmmmmmmmmmm ... 2 tries :)) and I sent Burhan back to the drawing board to check on RPM's and some kernel packages. I mentioned to check the C compiler at the same time to make sure it is current enough for 10g. After lunch I hoofed it down to the bank and withdrew money to give Deker Inn. On the way back there was some sort of skirmish and people running around; it had something to do with someone taking some money off a dish towel laid on the pavement in front of a panhandler. After work I took the customary drive back to Deker and immediately changed and headed out for a big night on the town ... walking to the Chinese restaurant for dinner and walking back. The walk there was uneventful though I did see a whole new part of Bole road on foot for the first time. The food was great. I must have asked 4 or 5 times for rice. I am not sure why they do not bring it with the first dish, and that happens each time I am there. I had a chicken with peanuts and LOTS of spices as well as sweet and sour pork (kosher of course :)). With a beer, it all came to $10. My trip to the Chinese restaurant re-inforced my impression that the 3 words one hears most from ferenge (remember that's what they call foreigners) are "more napkins please". Remembering the plethora of napkins at restaurants in Canada is a distant dream. At the GP, for example, after they bring the food, napkins arrive 'cause they know I need lots of them. I took the leftovers home "take away". That is the Amharic word for "doggy bag". The best was yet to come ... what is wrong with me ... a simple walk in a big city turns into an adventure and if a mouse were to cross my path I could write about it as if it was a life-rearranging experience :) Know what? Nothing's wrong with me ... it's called the simple life in Ethiopia; simple is NOT intended to be a put down, it's a compliment. About halfway home, I noticed about 4 men working on the right rear of a car. When I got closer, I observed someone lying on newspapers doing some fidgeting under the car. A taxi was parked behind, using its headlights as a work light. I stopped and asked if they would like to use my flashlight and they gladly took me up on my offer. I figured they were doing a flat tire. The got the car jacked up but the point they chose did not start far enough down on the car frame to allow the wheel to clear the ground when the jack was fully extended. They proceeded to let the car down and, while the guy with the jack positioned it under a lower part of the frame, the 3 other guys lifted the car up as he slid the jack underneath. Mission accomplished. I then realized I was becoming an Ethiopian; helping strangers, chatting with people as a way to pass the time, and just generally being a good person. Boy it feels good. I did one of my famous roll-over-on-the-side-of-my-foot yesterday as I was walking. I do this all the time and it could have been worse. In the early 70's I did it three times in the period of a few years, breaking a small bone on the outside of my left foot each time. Yesterday was mild compared to that. I may not be able to play tennis tomorrow. Hiruy the coach said I need not call early, just make sure he knows if I am not coming ... off to play my git-box. That's right Ben, Geckshie is on another continent ... Lafth.